To support community wellness in South Pacific County through active collaborations

Geri Marcus (left) is the past director of Willapa Behavioral Health and has been an active member in WellSpring's formation and continued success. Above she poses with coalition coordinator Vinessa Karnofski while accepting the Asset Builder Award in June 2016.

​By Kelsey Hopstad, AmeriCorps Volunteer

As WellSpring celebrates a decade of partners and champions for our community, we must recognize Geri Marcus. A pillar in the community, Marcus has worn many hats (evaluation coordinator, school psychologist, special services director, education manager for Ocean Beach Hospital, PR and communications, the list goes on and on), but we think her best look is collaborator and community partner at WellSpring. As Marcus says, “The people have been the best part!”

In the case of many organizations, it is common to try and “fix” problems alone. When Marcus and the 0-K Committee met in 2003, they quickly realized that their focus area wasn’t just education or children, it was all services in the community. Through this shift from “me” to “we,” WellSpring began to take shape.

IHS guidance counselor Sarah Taylor has been a member of WellSpring since it's origination in 2006.

Sarah Taylor, Ilwaco High School’s guidance counselor, will tell you that she has reached her dream job, but not without some detours. “My life is a series of decisions I’ve made that got me here,” says Taylor.

Taylor began her role as guidance counselor in the fall of 2015. While considering school counseling during undergraduate studies, she pursued a psychology degree and a career in social work. Prior to working in Ocean Beach School District (OBSD), Taylor worked in the behavioral health wing of Harborview Medical Center ER and as a counselor at Naselle Youth Camp.

In 2001 Taylor began coaching Track and Cross Country in OBSD, and began working in 2006 as the district’s Prevention Interventionist. During that time she pursued and received her Master’s in School Counseling. When she first heard about WellSpring, it tied in well with her work on preventing youth drug and alcohol use.

WellSpring member Barbara Bate's new book "Tsunami of the Mind" was released in August.

Like so many things in south Pacific County, it started with conversations. On a car ride to South Bend, Rosanne McPhail and I shared our mutual hope that good efforts on Long Beach Peninsula would come together so that everyone can be more effective.

In a separate talk with Lorraine Brown, after Lorraine and Craig had lost their daughter Julie to suicide, we decided to start an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI.

In both cases, I felt a strong calling to advocate and educate within our communities, places full of wonderful but also highly challenged individuals and families.